The two neighbors have effectively severed trade and diplomatic ties in a raft of tit-for-tat measures, with airspace, visas, and treaties suspended
Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following a deadly attack in India’s Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory that left 26 people dead.
While no concrete evidence has been presented linking Islamabad to the attack, India – which has long accused Pakistan of aiding militant infiltrations in Kashmir – has signaled it holds Pakistan indirectly responsible.
The neighbors, whose relations have been strained by four wars and repeated border skirmishes, have taken sweeping steps to further downgrade diplomatic and trade ties in response. The Indian Army said Pakistani troops opened small arms fire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting retaliation. No casualties have been reported.
Here’s how the situation has unfolded over the past three days.
Gunman attack in Kashmir
The attack occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist destination around 6km from the town of Pahalgam.
It left 26 people dead, including 25 Indian tourists and one Nepalese national, and many more wounded.
The Resistance Front, a militant group believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has reportedly claimed responsibility, prompting New Delhi to accuse Islamabad of supporting cross-border terrorism. Police in Kashmir say they have identified three suspects, two of whom are Pakistani nationals, in the attack.
Pakistan has denied having any role in the incident, instead accusing New Delhi of oppressing the region and its majority-Muslim population.
New Delhi’s reaction
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to hunt down the Pahalgam gunmen to the “ends of the earth,” vowing that “terrorism will not go unpunished.”
New Delhi announced a raft of measures on Wednesday targeting Pakistan, including downgrading diplomatic ties, reducing staff at the Pakistani High Commission, expelling Pakistani diplomats, and closing its land border. It also suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals, advising Indian citizens in Pakistan to promptly return home, and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which allows the two countries to share the waters of the Indus River system.
New Delhi said the measures would remain in effect “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
The Indian Embassy in Washington said, “India cannot be expected to continue cooperating with a country that is responsible for the killing of innocent civilians.”
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said New Delhi will “not only target those who carried out the attack,” but also “those who planned this act in the shadows, on our soil.”
Islamabad has denied it had any involvement in the Kashmir attack and issued a reciprocal response to India’s measures on Thursday, suspending key bilateral agreements and cross-border routes, closing its airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines, and declaring India’s defense, naval, and air advisers in Islamabad persona non grata.
All trade with India, including shipments to and from third countries through Pakistan, was also suspended, along with all visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme.
Islamabad was especially outraged over India’s unilateral suspension of the water treaty, warning that if India follows through on its threat to block rivers, it would take this as “an act of war.” The treaty governs the shared waters of one of the world’s biggest river systems, which affects millions of lives in both countries. India has never suspended the treaty before, even in times of open conflict.
On Thursday, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accused New Delhi of “preparing for all-out war” and vowed that it is prepared to respond in kind. He also claimed that the Kashmir attack was “a false-flag operation” orchestrated by the Indian authorities.
Global reactions
The international community has expressed concern over the escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Observers have warned that the current standoff could lead to further instability in the region if diplomatic channels are not promptly re-engaged.
Israel and France offered condolences to New Delhi following the attack and pledged to support it in its fight against terrorism. Washington also condemned the incident, but has said it is not taking a stance on the territorial dispute between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The UN, meanwhile, has urged both Islamabad and New Delhi to show restraint and resolve their issues peacefully.
UN का दुनिया में मज़ाक़ बन चुके है।
ये कहते है कि दोनों देश संयम बरते।
पर एक शब्द में इज-लामिक आतंकवाद का नाम नहीं ले सकते।
इसराइल, रूस और अब ट्रम्प ने दुनिया को बता दिया है कि UN चैटिंग बॉक्स से अधिक कुछ भी नहीं।
“We very much appeal to both the governments of Pakistan and the government of India to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that the situation and the developments do not deteriorate any further,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a press conference on Thursday. The issues between the two countries “can be and should be resolved peacefully,” he said.